Someone who cares
by Windpheonix
Summary: Living on the streets Ezra had to fight for his own. When he falls sick on the ghost he discovers how different life is when there is someone who truly cares.


It started off with just a minor ache.

Kanan noticed the stiffness in his padawan's movement, Ezra took longer to react, just lacked the overall sharpness of the young boy.

"Again." He sad, going through the motions with his student in the ghost's hangar.

It was still tiny and cramped in comparison to the Jedi temple he had grown up in but it was the largest room they had.

Ezra wiped his sweaty hair away from his sweaty forehead. Why are we not outside? He asked, stretching his back.

Kanan sighed. Because it is pouring outside and the clouds are up too high to go above them. He explained patiently, wishing desperately for another Jedi to talk to. Training a padawan was the last thing on his list before Ezra had come crashing into their lives and Kanan still doubted his ability to do right by his student. I figured getting drenched yesterday would have been enough for you. He added, earning a snort from Zeb on the galley.

Perhaps another would be good, smelt much better yesterday at dinner. He called down.

Ezra gritted his teeth, did his best, but the fluidity of Kanan's movements was hard to achieve on his best day. Today his head felt heavy, his limbs ached as if he had already completed his training.

Never the less he gave his best.

There had been too many times where no-body had paid any heed to him and while that was fine and dandy hen Ezra needed to pick some pockets most of the time he ached fr someone to look at him.

Here, now, Kanan had eyes for no-one but Ezra. and with time the boy had learned to crave this attention. This man taught him, trusted him and believed that Ezra would achieve something.

"Again." Kanan said, in his insufferable calm voice. Well, he was all Jedi-calm right up until Ezra riled him up enough. Only this time he was actively trying to do his best, make his teacher proud. So Ezra gritted his teeth and assumed the starting position.

Feet hip width, parallel to his feet, right shoulder for, then the left foot moves back, he started again.

"Breath Ezra, breathe." Kanan interrupted.

Ezra gritted his teeth and Kanan shook his head. "You are not focused today Ezra." He admitted.

"Well," Ezra snapped. "I am trying here, perhaps my joints wouldn't feel like they needed oiling if I could actually do something."

Kanan shook his head, motioned for Ezra to go on. "One needs to walk before we can run Ezra. Start again." he sighed.

Ezra could see his master's unease in every step, every nuance of his voice. You didn't survive on the streets without learning how to read people. Only the intentions behind everyone's action pulled him these days. The Ghost's crew was so different from all the people he had met on the streets.

Still, he had learned to trust Kanan and was trying to make his teacher proud. So Ezra stood up straight again, bend his knees slightly, 'breathe' shot through his head, causing his mouth to twitch in mirth Even his subconsciousness started to sound like Kanan. He heard his master sigh beneath him, for one moment he wasn't quiet sure if that sound hadn't been in his head.

Still, his limbs didn't feel any lighter, the air seemed to get drier and drier, the back of Era's throat began to feel raw, even worse than through hot summer months, but he didn't want to complain. People looked too closely when you spoke up.

Ezra's ground his teeth together, only sighed when when Kanan finally ended their training session. "Alright. We are done." He announced, than dropped his role as a master long enough to step closer to Ezra. One hand hovered over the boy's shoulder, uncertain how to give physical affection.

Ezra felt the motion more than he saw it. He twitched, pulled back, didn't know how to receive it. He grinned sheepishly. "Well, erm," he rubbed a hand through his sweaty hair and backed of. "I would better go take a hot shower Sure feels like the air is dry in here Perhaps I'll take a look on the life support system when I'm done."

For a moment it seemed like Ezra wanted to say something, but than he turned on his heels, climbed towards the fresher. His aching joints had been joined by a deep muscle ache. He stumbled into the fresher, very glad that no one else of the crew occupied it at the moment. He peeled out f his jumpsuit and hit the button for the hot water. Steam rose up and he breathed in deeply. Ezra swallowed and grimaced as the back of his throat protested. "I hate being sick." He murmured, held his head under the spray and let the hot water run over it. " I am not going to be sick." He added, searching blindly for a soap bottle.

Strangle the steaming shower didn't really feel better, Ezra saw the worn clothing on the floor ad pulled a face. It was strange he mulled, ow quickly one got used to freshly washed clothing and regular meals. Although the later was something he still re wondered about the hot food everyone managed to whisk up

more often than not it had been his main goals not to go to bed with a hole on his stomach, taste had been low on Ezra's list of priorities.

Nevertheless he hung his towel up on a hook and pulled on his clothing gingerly. Ezra reached his bunk in record time, very glad to let the jumpsuit fall to the floor, crawled into the sheets just in his boxers. He pulled up the blanket up to his chin.

Ezra closed his eyes,, tried too consciously relax his muscles, just like Kanan had taught him. A wry grin snuk onto his face, sometime, when he had reached no step further, when Ezra felt like he was walking head first into a walls, like there was no chance that he ever had any of the abilities Kanan portrayed so proudly, it felt as if that was the most useful thing the Jedi had taught him so far. Ezra sighed, brought his weight up to one elbow and pushed the pillow into a more comfortable position. He fell back with a sigh and closed his eyes. ''I am not going to get sick."

Ezra told himself again, but knew there was no way that one light training with Kanan, and the men had gone light on him today, would leave him this tired.

Still, he hoped that the next day, or rather cycle on the ghost, would leave him feeling better.

Ezra hated being sick. On the streets being sick meant not being able to look for food, going to bed hungry and being unable to run from or spot danger.

With a grumbled Ezra pulled his shoulder higher, nuzzled deeper into his pillow.  
After a goods night sleep he would feel better.

Only the next morning started off worse than the last day ended.

Zeb went for his routine, bright and early and, Ezra pulled the blanket higher with a groan, loud. His head pounded, he felt cold, just bone-deep chilled.

Zeb rapped his knuckles against the bunk. "Hey! Up kid, don't complain when the breakfast is gone again!" With an amused grunt he left.

Ezra heard the door close and breathed a sigh of relief. He sat up carefully, one hand against the wall as the room started spinning. A few deep breaths helped calm his stomach, but truly he could not care less about breakfast.

"Still, I should go." Ezra murmured quietly, testing out his aching throat, better than the night before, but still rough. A cough tickled the back of his throat. Ezra grimaced, held his breath, tried to swallow, but started coughing anyway.

He shook his head, carefully and slid off of his bed.

So with heavy sigh the boy got dressed, collected his old clothes from the floor, Zeb had just walked over them, and dropped them of in the hamper on his way to the common room.

He squinted against the bright lights.. and slid into a free seat.

Sabine, apparently poured over some schematics, cocked her head to the side, watching him.

Chopper rushed by, sounding a seria of high pitched-beeps. Ezra grimaced, grappled for the blue milk and poured himself a cup.

He sunk down over it, carefully sipping, letting it settle in his complaining stomach. Sabine, pocked him in the shoulder. "Hey small stuff," she teased. "You don't look to good."

Ezra waved her off, worked up a grin, sat up a bit straigther. "Nah. I'm fine." He brought out, cleared his throat, hearing his voice go husky.

"Mh." Sabine leaned over and pressed a palm to his neck. "Well, that's not true Ezra." She frowned and yelled over her shoulder. "Hey Kanan!"

Ezra flinched, nearly knocked over his cup. Some spilled. "Do you have to be so loud?" He snapped, then coughed, a real fit that made him bow over, left him gasping for air, feeling like his cough tore something in chest.

A warm hand settled on his back, rubbed up and down. He stayed still for a moment, getting his breathing under control and just enjoyed the feeling. Ezra shivered, wished for a blanket.

"Sorry." He said, sheepishly looking over to Sabine.

"It's okay." She answered, rubbed his back a last time, hesitated. A glint in her eyes bade Ezra steel himself.

She punched him in the shoulder, lightly, Ezra noted. "But don't you dare do that again! I am a proud mandalorian!" She exclaimed, a bit over the top, a bit too much. Ezra knew she was teasing him, expected to start a bickering fight, but he truly felt too wrung out to rise to the challenge.

A low chuckle came from the doorway. "Let's not start that one, the last time you and Kanan talked about that subject you ended up scrubbing the ghost top to bottom from your colours." Hera added her credit to the conversation.

She walked over to them, Kanan on her heels, they had apparently talked in the cockpit again. "Well, we should just have let it stay that way. It looked good." Sabine piped up, just earning an eye-roll from Hera.

Kanan concentrated on Ezra, tipped up the boy's chin and peered in his face. Ezra squirmed, pulled away.

Well, then. What are we doing today? He asked, tried to turn on his charming smile, the one that made the older vendor put a piece more into his bag, or the one that allowed him to distract people when he had just dipped his fingers into their pockets. Some more shooting? Can I pilot the ghost? Hera laughed, not anytime soon and not in that state. She dug up their med-kit, picked out a few pill bottles.

The look didn't seem to work on Jedi. Kanan raised an eyebrow. I think, we are going to call a time-out for strenuous exercises. He answered, accepted the medicine from Hera with a gracious nod. Thank you Hera. I'll take it from here."

The pilot of the ghost gave the group a doubtful look, but climbed back through the hatch to her cockpit.

Kanan pushed back the chair next to Ezra and sat down. "I am fine." Ezra protested as his master counted out a few pills, but Kanan did not take a no.

With a long suffering sigh he sat the pills down on the table with a tick- tock, pushed them closer to Ezra.

"My pupil," he shook his head. "Your eyes are glassy and I could hear your coughing fit all the way down the ghost. Now take these so that you get better."  
Ezra growled, and tossed down the pills defiantly with a swig of his blue ilk.

It was not long before Zeb came stomping down the corridor again and let himself fall on a seat with a groan. Ezra could see the table shaking. "Damn pile of bolts and plates." His friend growled, deftly reaching for his muesli.

Kanan rose. "Time for my morning exercise."

Ezra, not wanting to be left behind and not wanting to miss Kanan in action the Jedi in action was a sight to behold, jumped up. Nearly immediately the room started spinning. .The edges of his vision went dark, Ezra felt light-headed.

Firm hands gripped his arm, pulled him forward.

"Calm padawan, calm Ezra." Kanan's voice came through the fog.

Ezra blinked, suddenly stared up to the grey ceiling.

Kanan knelt next to him and watched Ezra intently. "Better padawan?" He asked.

Ezra nodded weakly. "I think I will join you this afternoon." He sighed, leaned back into the pillow.  
Kanan nodded, but did not leave as Ezra had expected. There was nothing the men could do with him as long as Ezra was sick, right?

But Kanan did not leave. Instead he pulled out anther pillow, pushed it under Ezra's head. "Here You wouldn't want to get a crick in your neck." HE said fondly. Laid a warm hand on Ezra's shoulder. The boy snuggled into it, the temperature in thee room seemed to be dropping.

"Cold?"

Ezra nodded, stretched out and snuggled into the sofa, even though the well worn cushions of the ghost's couch made that difficult.

Kanan patted his shoulder, than pushed himself onto his feet.

Ezra closed his eyes. tried to ignore the tickling in his throat and feeling of phlegm in his lungs. He was sick, down. He could not learn , could not work. It might have been too much to ask for, but for one moment he had thought his aster would stay.

So he pushed back into the pillows, tried to find a comfortable position for his aching bones.

He shivered, feeling goosebumps rising on his arms. A warm blanket was laid over his feet. Ezra blinked as Kanan leaned forward and smoothed the blanket over his shoulders.

"Sleep." He said. His bones felt heavy, caught somewhere in between hot from the fever and way too cold.

Somewhere, somehow his fever- muddled brain amplified every noise. He could hear Sabine humming during her work.  
The ship groaned as the metal worked in-flight.

Ezra buried himself deeper into the pillow, pulled the blanket higher. He knew he just had to wait for the meds to kick in At least this time he had some. There had been enough times, despite his healthy immune-system, where he could not scrounge up the credits for a fever reducer or something else.

So Ezra ignored the thought that he missed one of the occasions where Kanan's full attention was on him. 'He will be here when I am healthy again.' He told himself and tried to drift to sleep. He knew, the more he slept, the quicker he would feel better.

Only a short time into him dazing the cushion dipped next to his shoulder.

Someone combed some fingers through his hair. Ezra hummed, turned his head slightly. He blinked up against the lights, they still seemed way too bright. Only the thing he saw brightened Ezra's day considerably. Sabine sat right next to him, running her fingers through his hair.

Ezra felt his heart beat faster. His cheeks heated up. His crush on Sabine had not receded in the slightest. Only as Ezra opened his mouth something in his fever-muddled brain told him that now was not the best time to start talking.

So Ezra closed his mouth again and closed his mouth again. Sabine smiled. She stopped and patted his head. "Didn't men to wake you up." She grinned.

Ezra could feel the cushions shift as Sabine stood up. He rumbled as she pulled a chair up, Ezra grimaced as the feet scratched over the floor. She plunked herself down on it and flicked on the screen.

"I thought I would keep you some company." She said, pulled her chest plate on her lap. Ezra blinked, sat up a bit as the mando started cleaning her arnour.

"You really don't wanna sleep all day, because than you won't be able to sleep at night. A bit of napping is great, but there was that one time at the academy where I was sick and alone in the barracks. I slept all-day, 'cause it was so boring, but than when everyone came in for sleep I just couldn't!"

Sabine laughed, grinned, caused Ezra to chuckle as well. Something caught in his throat, another fit of coughing shook him.

Sabine grimaced. "Ouch. She commented, "I hope you won't mind seeing Starlight again, because that is the only one I haven't seen a gazillion times already."

Ezra rolled his eyes, not that he would have really had a choice in the matter, well perhaps if he had complained enough, or nicked the remote from her, but truly he had the energy for neither. So Ezra settled into his pillow and watched the movie flicker over the screen again.

It was decent, he didn't mind and it was good entertainment.

Ezra smiled. Sabine started to hum lightly during her work. It was nice, having company. Just as he started to nod off again Zeb stomped back into the room.

Even with his stuffed nose Ezra smelled the grease and oil, the smell of cut metal coming off of his room-mate. Zeb plunked down on a seat, plopped his feet up on the table. "Hey!" Sabine protested. "Get your feet off of there you big loaf! I just shined those!" Ezra blinked, looked over quick enough to see Sabine jump up and grab Zeb's legs. She heaved, lifted them off her armour and pushed Zeb to the side.

"Stupid, walking.." Zeb nearly topped off of his chair. He growled, jumped to his feet, grabbed for Sabine.

She, light on her feet, outmanoeuvred Zeb with ease. The table between them Sabine grinned. "Well?" She laughed, just as Hera interrupted.

"Stop it you two!" She snapped. "If you have so much energy why don't you go and get our cargo ready for drop-off?"

Ezra contorted his neck, trying to see the bright green Twi'lek.

Oh, come on! We were just having a bit of fun! Sabine spoke up. I mean, we were just..: her eyes darted around, trying to find something. She licked her lips, looked at Ezra. We were just trying to distract the short stuff here!

"Hey!" Ezra just up, grabbed his head as the room spun. "I am not short." He forced out between clenched teeth. He was not short, just had a few less inches than some other boys his age, food had been hard to come by some times.

Sabine poked his foot. "Hey!" She hissed. "Help me out here instead of yapping."

A light went off in Ezra's head. "Erm, yea, I didn't feel so great, the two just.." He trailed off, heard Hera sigh, basically could feel her exasperation.

"Just keep it down children." She sighed. "Some of us are actually trying to work here."

A short pang of regret shot through Ezra, he scrambled up a bit straighter. He had held a few odd jobs here and there, there were thongs you couldn't steal after all. One thing they had all held in common?

You didn't hold a job if you didn't pull your own weight. In gangs too, you didn't stay if you were useless.

Only here, just as Ezra's feet touched the ground, he shivered, it was way to cold, Hera turned around. "And you young man stay in bed." She admonished. "You still can't sit up straight and I won't have you sick for longer than you have to be. Don't strain yourself." The pilot did not move from her spot until Ezra laid back down reluctantly. She raised an eyebrow, 'still waiting here' she seemed to say. Only as Ezra pulled the blanket back up, snuggled under it, secretly very glad to be on his back and warm again, she nodded and headed for the cockpit again.

Zeb pushed his chair to the right position, plopped down again. He put up his feet, but a bit more heedful of Sabine's freshly polished armour.

'Keyword slightly' Ezra thought to himself as Sabine grumbled, pushed her chest plate out of the way of Zeb's oily shoes.

Sabine chuckled and picked her polishing cloth up again. Ah. She stretched until Ezra heard her spine pop. He grimaced. "Alright. That still sound so weird." He yawned, stretched out himself.

A snort sounded from his left. "But not when you do it?" She asked, not expecting an answer, just burrying herself in her work again.

Ezra only smiled, allowed himself to nod off. It was nice, having someone to care, having family.

* * *

 **A.N.:** So, this little plot bunny simply refused to leave me alone and since I am a sucker for hurt/comfort I happily wrote this down.

It is my first venture into the Rebels part of Star Wars so a little feedback would make me really happy :)


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